Well, the Mets season is over.  Third place came quickly.  One game over .500.  What a disappointment, but being a Mets fan I shouldn't have expected anything else.

 July 1, 2021.  The year is half over, at least in months.  In days it is a couple days short of half.  It doesn't seem possible that half a year is gone already.  Why does it seem that as we get older time seems to go by so much quicker.  A theory I have is that when you are young a year is a major portion of your life.  At ten one year is one tenth of your life so it seems long.  But at seventy three a year is a mere 1.4% of your life.  A poor theory?  Maybe, but I need something to grab onto as life goes zipping by.  A bit depressing I think.

Also a bit depressing is the state of the Mets.  They made it through June, which has always been the month they fade into oblivion,  still in first place.  But that is a precarious perch atop the division.  It is down to two games now and I have a feeling their hold on the top spot will be gone in a few days.  Mets fans are notoriously pessimistic. 

 Our years are noted as AD, anno domini or "in the year of our lord".  So we are in 2021AD.  But for BC, obviously "before Christ", how did they refer to the years?  I mean if you asked someone in 10BC what year it is, what would they say?

 This was supposed to be the year the Mets were going to be contenders.  All the analysts said they would score a lot of runs to support the great pitching.  Well, the pitching has been really really good but the hitting has been way less than expected.  Granted there have been some glimpses of what could be but nothing to truly get excited about.  Here's hoping that when I look back at this post in a month or two I'll laugh at how I saw the glass as half empty.  

I'm going through a bit of withdrawal because I haven't been geocaching in nine days.  I had planned on going out this past Monday, the 19th, but my back betrayed me on Sunday and I have been in considerable discomfort for four days.  Today it is about 85% but still not well enough to go hiking anywhere.  

I did go grocery shopping this morning and it wasn't too painful so I am on the mend, hopefully.  I had to go alone because Pat is in quarantine after her pre-surgical covid test.  So, with her first week home after surgery next week, I don't think I will be caching for a while.   

I returned the snowblower to the shed after an early season tuneup and more than a few opportunities for use after that.  

Now bring on the late season snowstorm. 

 I went geocaching today with a short list of caches.  The first five were in Leonardo and were quick ones where I only had to walk a couple hundred feet to make the easy grabs.  Then I headed out to Hartshorne Woods in Atlantic Highlands.  Three caches to grab which involved much hiking and much climbing steep hills.  According to my iPhone apps I walked 5.2 miles with an accumulated elevation of thirty four floors.  Needless to say my legs were sore, especially the knees.  I have to remember to only put one hiking cache per list because my mind says I am young but my body is a bit older. 

Today I went for my second ride outdoors this year.  In the fall I had decided that this was the first year in a while where I would ride outdoors all winter, barring any sub freezing temps.  But one big snowfall which didn't melt for months put a stop to that.  Difficult to ride when there is no shoulder on the road.  So, today I went just over ten miles. Granted, that isn't a long ride but I am going to ease myself back into it.  Riding outside is different than riding with the bike on the trainer and watching TV.  Next ride should be Wednesday when again it will be around sixty.  That ride will be twelve or thirteen miles.  

 Last day of winter.  It really wasn't a bad one, but bad enough that I got to use my snowblower more than a couple times.  I did have to have it serviced mid season because it was running only in choke mode.  Now it runs like a charm.  On April 1st I will drain the gas and put it away until next year.  

In case anyone is interested, my reading list from last year totaled seventy books.  I chose not to provide a list here because it takes a bit of work and since nobody is reading this post it seems like a waste of time.

Perhaps the title of this blog should be changed since my lovely spouse has never contributed anything.  

 To think that I could have been blogging through the pandemic, with each daily post being almost exactly the same as the previous day.  

In looking over my blog I see that much of it is either outdated, not up to date, or the links no longer work.  Perhaps I will try to get most of it working again, but more likely not.  I don't see the need to do that since nobody visits anyway.

Another year of reading is over.  No reviews here, just a list of titles that I have read.  Seventy four books.  Quite a few for sure.

The Force	Winslow, Don
City of Lies	Thompson, Victoria
End Game	Baldacci, David
Death Row	Atkinson, Russell
On Copper Street	Nickson, Chris
Code Girls	Mundy, Liza
The Excursion Train	Marston, Edward
Deep Freeze	Sandford, John
Gut Shot	Atkinson, Russell
The Beekeeper's Apprentice	King, Laurie R.
Dark Dawn over Steep House	Kasasian, M.R.C.
The Woman in the Window	Finn, A. J.
The Stowaway	Sharpiro, Laurie Gwen
The Tuscan Child	Bowen, Rhys
Behead Me	Atkinson, Russell
The Railway Viaduct	Marston, Edward
A Will to Die	Atkinson, Russell
Hot to Stop Time	Haig, Matt
Need to Know	Cleveland, Karen
The Wanted	Crais, Robert
The Iron Horse	Marston, Edward
To Die But Once	Winspear, Jacqueline
Robicheaux	Burke, James Lee
A Monstrous Regiment of Women	King, Laurie R.
Murder on the Brighton Express	Marston, Edward
City of Endless Night	Preston, Douglas & Child, Lincoln
The Flight Attendant	Bohjalian, Chris
The Disappeared	Box, C.J.
Put It in the Book	Rose, Howie
The Bishop's Pawn	Berry, Steve
Cliffhanger	Atkinson, Russell
Before I Go To Sleep	Watson, S. J.
Noir	Moore, Christopher
The Escape Artist	Meltzer, Brad
Educated	Westover, Tara
A Letter of Mary	King, Laurie R.
The Silver Locomotive Mystery	Marston, Edward
Murder on Union Square	Thompson, Victoria
Dr. Mutter's Marvels	Aptowicz, Cristin O'Keefe
Twisted Prey	Sandford, John
The Moor	King, Laurie R.
The Fallen	Baldacci, David
The Forgotten Road	Evans, Richard Paul
The Pharaoh Key	Preston, Douglas & Child, Lincoln
Barracoon	Hurston, Zora Neale
Railway to the Grave	Marston, Edward
The Word is Murder	Horowitz, Anthony
Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore	Sullivan, Matthew
Silent Witness	Forester, Rebecca
The Hellfire Club	Tapper, Jake
Invasion of Privacy	Reich, Christopher
Priviledged Witness	Forester, Rebecca
Hell Bay	Thomas, Will
O Jerusalem	King, Laurie R.
Pieces of Her	Slaughter, Karin
The Take	Reich, Christopher
Expert Witness	Forester, Rebecca
I'm Keith Hernandez	Hernandez, Keith
Justice Hall	King, Laurie R.
Eyewitness	Forester, Rebecca
Indianapolis	Vincent, Lynn & Vladic, Sara
We Fed an Island	Andres, Jose
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life	Idle, Eric
Harry Starke	Howard, Blair
The Game	King, Laurie R.
Transcription	Atkinson, Kate
Red War	Mills, Kyle (Vince Flynn)
The Other Woman	Silva, Daniel
Locked Rooms	King, Laurie R.
Forgotten Witness	Forester, Rebecca
Holy Ghost	Sandford, John
Two For the Money	Howard, Blair
Blood on the Line	Marston, Edward
The Art of Detection	King, Laurie R.

Just testing to see if I remember how to do this.  It has only been a few years since I posted anything. Well, maybe a bit more than a few years.  So, will anyone read this?  Has anyone left the link open so they will get an alert?  We'll see.  I would hope if anyone sees this they will let me know.  

But why am I writing.  So much has happened in the years since I last posted.  Too much to include so I will not attempt to go over them.  Let me just say that I am now seventy years old.  I still ride my bike, though not as far or as fast.  And I have a new hobby, geocaching.  Rather than explain that you can check it out yourself at geocaching.com.  

Will I write another post after this one?  

Now I Remember

August 22nd, Pittsburgh. The Pirates and the Brewers were playing a twinight doubleheader. In a mini family reunion Pat, myself, and my brother Rick had driven in from NJ to meet my brother Bob and his wife Judy. Because the 22nd was our anniversary we went to dinner on Sunday night and did some sight seeing on Monday before attending the ball game at PNC Park.

But that is not the reason for this entry. The ballgame is the reason. Or more precisely attending the game is the reason. I now remember why I don't like to go to ball games any more. First and foremost is the music. From the time you enter the ballpark you are bombarded with music played so loud you have to talk loudly to be heard by the person sitting next to you. And it doesn't end when the game begins. Between innings and even between at bats the music blares. Each player has a certain song he wants played before he comes to bat. It borders on the ridiculous. And it isn't just the music either. Every moment that isn't a pitch or a play in the field is filled with either music or some game on the scoreboard, or some announcements. There is never silence. And by silence I mean sounds of the game or just the sounds of fans in the ballpark.

This need to have music playing all the time is also reflected in things you see every day. People walking, running, reading, driving, an doing most everything, need to have earphones or earbuds to listen to music. Are people that afraid or uncomfortable to have silence and basically be alone with themselves? Or at the game, does management think people have a need to be entertained constantly or they will leave the park or not come? Do they come to see a game, or to listen to music?

Music is number one but the remaining are not in any specific order. Seating can be next. I haven't been to Citi Field, and have not much experience at any stadium except Shea, but at PNC Park the seats are so narrow and the space between the rows are likewise so narrow that it borders on the ridiculous. You would think a new park would be made more fan friendly and more comfortable. Not in Pittsburgh.

Vendors at this park are virtually non-existent. I recall the days when there would be vendors moving up and down the aisles constantly. Which brings me to my next gripe. People. There are so many people who don't even pay attention to the game. It is like a social event or a place to come and eat. But in order to eat you have to go out to the concession stands because of the forementioned lack of vendors.

People? Obnoxious people. They can ruin it for everyone. I refer to the guys who stand up and yell at the umpire or the batter apparently thinking they will be heard and it will make a difference. And those that encourage them by laughing or joining in are just as bad. Sure, I have yelled in the past, but not this constant badgering of players.

And finally. Does anyone keep score anymore?

What do you do?

Many people have fender bender accidents. The proper thing to do is to call the police and wait. I know this is not true in CA and might be that way in other places too. BUT if the other car happens to be a police car? What do you do then? Call another cop to the scene?

Just some food for thought.

Unbelievable

Driving in the car today the dash said the outside temperature was 100. Holy crap!!

New iPhone

A couple weeks ago, prior to our trip to AZ and CA I finally moved into the 21st century by buying an iPhone. I am still learning everything you can do with it but just found that I can blog from it. At least I think I can. This entry will be a test.

Heading home

It has been a long while since I made an entry here and for those of you who also followed my 365 site you have seen that is now defunct. But this blog still has life. As the title indicates we are heading home on Thursday. After spending 66 out of 79 nights in a bed other than our own, with the last stretch being 35 days, it will be great to sleep at home again. But what we are not looking forward to is the change in temperatures. Today in California it is near seventy degrees and in NJ it is in the low thirties. That is going to be quite a difference when we exit the terminal at the airport.

It is definitely strange having the Christmas season upon us and the temps being so warm here. Just can't get in the mood of the season. Another strange thing is that the leaves are just changing now on the trees that get color and lose their leaves. A very strange place to live for sure.

Nothing else for now.

Countdown

Mets magic number is 17. Stick a fork in them.

Sheep

"This is the beginning of the great awakening of America ... We must give voice to what God says we must do," he added. "My message to you tonight is stand where He wants you to stand and trust in the Lord. If He tells you to do it, do it. If you can't figure it out, He will. Just do it."

Glenn Beck's words at a rally on Friday, the day before his Restoring Honor event. What strikes me about this quote is how much he sounds like a television evangelist. You can almost hear Jim Baker or Kenneth Copeland standing before their flock and saying similar things. All Beck has to do now is begin healing people. But what is more amazing to me and maybe it shouldn't be, is that he can conceive of and implement such an event. Is it that people would come to this event even if there were no central figure or is it Beck that draws them? If it is him, if he is some sort of Svengali, then it scares me that so many people can blindly follow someone. To use Beck's own argument, isn't it then like what Hitler did in Germany? And if he believes we should strictly follow the constitution then why does he say, "My role is, as I see it, to wake America up to the back-sliding of principles and values and, most importantly, of God. We are a country of God". I must be missing something because I can't understand why those who follow (like sheep) him can't see that he is just one man espousing ideas that are his and not theirs. What am I missing? He is in the end a personality, a former "morning zoo" dj, an entertainer. Is it time to move to Canada yet?

A Miracle

Our new 55" flat screen TV was scheduled to be delivered today. I had received two different confirmation emails giving me time of delivery, both being between 10 and 1PM. But one of them stated it was PDT and one was EDT. So that meant the delivery window for me was anywhere from ten and four. Not happy. So, I am sitting in the den and I hear a door slam out front. The TV was being delivered by Pilot trucking so I assumed it would be a large truck and I would hear it coming down the street. Besides it is 9:55 in the morning. I look outside and there is a small panel truck across the street. The driver gets out and opens the back and pulls out a hand truck. I stay to watch wondering what the neighbors across the street have purchased. Then he reaches into the back of the truck and slides a long thin box out. On the side of the box there are two things I can make out: "Samsung" and "55". Holy Crap! Remember it isn't even ten o'clock yet. I rush to the door and as he is wheeling it across the street I direct him to the patio in the back. I sign for it and he leaves. I go back in the den and it is 9:58. Never happened before. Never. Thirty eight years living here and I do not recall one instance where we were first on a delivery schedule when we were given the delivery hours. Many times the delivery window has closed and still we waited. Today was something totally out of the ordinary. It is truly a miracle.

There must be some mistake

There is no way Ringo Starr can be seventy years old today!!

July 4th

Happy Birthday Rube!